Twitter's Instability is a Big Problem for Creators

If you rely on channels that you don’t own for your business – you should be very nervous right now.

Elon Musk says he is stepping down as CEO of Twitter after he’s brought a lot of chaos to the platform. We don’t know what’s going to happen to Twitter. Maybe there’s a good path forward, but more likely, the value of a Twitter following has taken a permanent, major hit.

If you have a following on channels like Twitter, you don’t actually “own” anything.?

For professional show creators and new-breed “content creators” alike, owned channels are crucial. If you, a. Don’t know who your audience is and b. Can’t reach them directly on your own and, c. aren’t in control of how you make money from them…

You’re in trouble.

You as an individual content provider mean very little to the platform. Algorithms move you up or down to meet the needs of the platform business. And by the way, eventually, it’s always down. Check the history of the most popular accounts on channels like Youtube. You’re not going to be the exception.

Unless you build your own audience. Platforms like Substack, Patreon and Stellar allow you to take advantage of powerful tools that you couldn’t build for yourself, but they also give you a direct connection to your own audience. At a minimum, you’ve got all the information about who your supporters are and you can reliably reach them with new products or services or content.

If you’re in the live entertainment business, you need a reliable, growing mailing list. Whether it’s email or mobile numbers, you’ve got to have a way to be in touch that you control. If you’re messing around with social media on the assumption that your activities there will pay off in actual audience building, you’re missing a piece of the puzzle. And that’s costing you dearly.

The content creator boom in its current form is fading, but even if it didn’t, your time on top is limited. If you're lucky enough to get there. Without an audience of your own, you’re not even renting. You’re just a guest in someone else’s house.